A former party-list congressman on Saturday said that the ruling Liberal Party was ruining the “clean, principled” image of its vice presidential bet, Rep. Leonor “Leni” Robredo of Camarines Sur.
“The party is dragging Leni [Robredo] through the mud, but she still has the ability to say no before it’s too late. Just say no, Leni,” Walden Bello said in a post on social media.
Robredo, along with running mate Manuel Roxas II, has gained the endorsement of Pampanga Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda whom the LP tagged as “the epitome of corruption” in the days as the political opposition during the Arroyo regime.
Bello, who posted a photo on Saturday of the LP bets together with President Benigno Aquino III and Pineda, said that while it “doesn’t imply anything irregular,” the administration party has “marginalized” and junked its allies in favor of incumbents that it “once villified.”
Bello cited the case of Pampanga, where the ruling party has junked “original LP reformers” priest-turned-governor Among Ed Panlilio, whom the party slighted just to gain the favor of the Pinedas.
Her husband, Bong Pineda is a noted kingmaker and an alleged jueteng lord in the province, who successfully backed the candidacies of Joseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo and even President Aquino.
Ironically, Robredo’s husband, the late Jesse Robredo, waged war on jueteng when he was Naga City mayor and later, as Interior secretary.
Bello insinuated that with Robredo tying her self around the alliances being sealed by the ruling Liberal Party to boost her vice presidential bid as with Roxas, in turn, she is effacing her principled image that she has gained over the years.
Bello broke ties with Akbayan, an administration ally following disagreements over the party’s direction being taken with its coalition with the ruling Liberals.
A number of Akbayan members hold government posts, among them Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas and National Antipoverty Commission Chair Joel Rocamora.
Risa Hontiveros, a former PhilHealth director and former party-list representative, ran under the LP’s senatorial slate in 2010, 2013 and 2016.
Bello also cited several instances, such as in Isabela, “where Grace Padaca has been marginalized in favor of the Dy dynasty, or in La Union, where reformers like Henry Bacurnay have been edged out of the LP leadership in favor of outsiders like the Ortega dynasty.”
Padaca, despite being a LP member herself ran as independent in the 2016 polls after Isabela Gov. Faustino “Bodjie” Dy III, a ranking member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition threw their support behind the administration bets.
The late Jesse Robredo, together with Panlilio and Padaca were among the founders of “Kaya Natin,” a group that “seeks to recruit principled local government officials to change the country’s deteriorating political situation.”
In an interview, Leni defended Pineda, saying that her links to the illegal numbers game should not overshadow her record in public service and her willingness to help her in the campaign.
“Let’s put this in the proper context. We’re not forming an alliance with her because of her jueteng links, but we welcome Gov. Pineda because we recognize and believe in her, even experts, because of her good performance in Pampanga in the delivery of basic services, one of the LGU officials whose performance should be repeated,” Robredo said.
“Does this overshadow her links to jueteng? Her help shouldn’t be overshadowed because she’s not asking for any favor,” she added.
Despite Pineda’s support for their tandem, Robredo said that her stance against jueteng won’t change.
“Definitely I’m against it, I’ve always been very vocal about it. My husband has been very vocal about it when he was still alive. My stance never changed,” she said.
Roxas meanwhile, said that people shouldn’t put malice with Pineda’s support for them.
“Maybe that’s a thought for malicious minds. As far as we’re concerned, they’ve not asking for anything in return. This is all about service, Governor Pineda herself has said she likes the service here in Pampanga, in all towns and cities in Pampanga so we accept her support,” Roxas said.
Roxas won in the Pampanga with 413,016 votes when he ran for vice president in 2010, compared to his rival, then Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay with 220,357 votes.